NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 24: Chapter 24
—Several Days Later—
Heading to the palace alone, after receiving a summons from the Crown, I left the children and my family behind on Yamato for their protection. Wearing my Iron Man Armor to the palace, as it was easier to fly directly there, I inadvertently gave the poor palace guards a heart attack when I landed in front of them. Instead of meeting with them in the Throne Room, like last time, I was guided to the Royal Treasury where Queen Mylene, Duke Redgrave, and Marquess Frampton were waiting. Greeting them formally, in order of rank, I inquired why we were meeting here instead of the standard location.
"My husband and I have decided to reward you for removing the biggest threat to our nation's capital. The ceremony to celebrate your achievement will be held in two months, but today we are bestowing upon you two Lost Items of your choice from the Royal Vault.", Queen Mylene stated, smiling at me warmly, "Also, I would like to inform you that no formal charges will be pressed against your stepmother's death. Retribution for the results of an official duel is a serious crime, she was a fool for lashing out in front of so many witnesses."
"I understand, thank you for your generosity!", I said, bowing my head in gratitude, 'Not only do I get the few Lost Items the First King's party had in the Guild's Vault, but I also get two freebies from the Kingdom as well. Add in that nothing will come of Zola's death, I am riding the high life now!'
Motioning for me to enter first, I stepped through the massive steel doors and into a small warehouse filled with crates and sealed containers mostly covered in dust. Immediately walking to the back, as the older relics were likely positioned there, the first thing I saw sitting on a pedestal was a heavily damaged BFG-9000. Running up to it, I picked it up for a closer inspection.
"I am well aware.", I said, with a big grin, "I will fix this bad boy up, and load it onto a satellite in outer orbit. A short-term goal of mine is to have several constellations of satellites in the sky watching things down here on the ground. Adding this into the mix will be my Nuclear Deterrent."
As I looked it over, ensuring it was repairable, Mylene stared at me in disbelief. Glancing over at her, I noticed a glimmer of interest in her eyes.
"You are stronger than you look. Roland tried to pick that up when we first came in here, and he threw out his back just barely lifting it.", Mylene giggled, with a mischievous smirk.
"It weighs around three hundred pounds so I can understand why he might have trouble. This is the first item I would like to take. If I can fix it, this will be a major asset in a potential future war with the Principality.", I advised.
Intrigued by my statement, Duke Redgrave and Marquess Frampton inquired if I thought war was on the horizon. Given what I could remember about future events, it was more than just one war looming on the horizon.
"Are you concerned because of the armor you found on that undiscovered island in your father's territory?", the Duke inquired.
"Or is there something else?", Marquess Frampton asked.
"My concern is that we likely have traitors among the nobles. The Principality has made many repeated incursions into our Kingdom over the past few years. Somehow none of the households on the border have mentioned anything about seeing them, just the evidence that they had been there. Either they are in league with the Principality, or someone is feeding the enemy information on where our patrols are to avoid detection.", I remarked, looking at them both, "Given the increased signs of their incursions, I can only assume they are preparing for a conflict with us. My generation is probably the most ill-suited lot to grace our nation to date. Aside from a few outstanding individuals, our country is going downhill and the Principality knows it. Too many people are worried about appearance and prestige, very few are genuinely training to defend themselves and our nation."
"Well said.", both men acknowledged, surprisingly on the same page about this point.
"Wait, you have never said that to either Roland or me? If you felt this way, you should have said something!", Mylene said, looking at them with frustration.
Unlike the two men, I did not have a political status so I could speak freely. The fact that Rutart was supposedly an Adept Swordsman did not bode well for others above him. I had a strong suspicion that, aside from a few noble sword styles, most were giving out titles to appease the nobility. If that was indeed correct, when we went to war, lots of unskilled men were going to die needlessly on the battlefield.
"Queen Mylene, under normal circumstances, pointing this out would cause quite a stir among the Cabinet Ministers. Many of their grandchildren fall into that group and most would never want to hear that. The four of us here are ground, we can see the writing on the wall and want to address it. Most nobles will want to sweep it under the rug and believe it is just baseless rumors.", I commented, "After my duel with Rutart, I strongly believe martial arts schools and other establishments are handing out titles to unworthy individuals because of their noble status. They fear the repercussions they might face by upsetting the nobles so they simply lower the standards. This causes the truly gifted individuals to look elsewhere because they feel it lessens their achievements watching those weaker than them achieve the title they were aiming for."
"*sigh* I understand, both of you could have still come to us directly to voice your concerns.", Mylene argued, "I will discuss this with Roland and review how far this trend goes. Listening to Leon's explanation, we are in desperate need of reforms. Countless young men and women will die on the battlefield if nothing is done soon."
"I assume you have a timeframe for this war to start?", Duke Redgrave asked me.
"Yes, my best guess would be in four years. It is well known that students of the Academy take trips around the country during the fall months. As you know, several routes pass within a few miles of the border with the Principality.", I remarked, "I specifically say four years because Prince Julius and Lady Angelica, along with many other high-ranking noble children, will be on those routes at that time. If they wanted to cripple our country, eliminating the Crown Prince and others would certainly do it. That is why they are scoping out our border. My suspicion is they are planning to ambush the students while they are isolated and away from the protection of the military."
Listening to me closely, the three of them looked at one another in shock. In all their planning, it had never once occurred to them that they were scheming that far out in advance. Piecing the reports together in their minds, they quickly understood how I came to my conclusion.
"Leon, you may have just saved countless lives with that revelation.", Duke Redgrave said, patting me on the shoulder, "Defense Minister Frampton, I assume we can leave this to you?"
"Of course, now that we know what they are aiming for, rooting them out will be much easier.", Marquess Frampton agreed, with a toothy grin, 'Haha, I will happily take credit for rooting out the Principalities' forces in our lands. Once I have eliminated them, my faction will be par with the Duke's.'
With this newfound information in hand, Marquess Frampton left our group and went to begin preparation. Turning my attention back to the assortment of valuables, I started opening the lids of containers to see if I could find anything. Getting several crates in, a familiar relic I remembered from the manga showed itself to me. Cautiously having Jarvis scan the relic, a giant eye suddenly appeared on its outer plating.
"This is a stain on the Old Humans' legacy, a Cursed Lost Item. This abomination is their attempt at making Magitech and failing miserably. It is a piece of tech that was merged with dark magic to create a powerful weapon to counter the New Humans. Unfortunately, due to the process used to make it, anyone who wears it slowly slips into madness before their mind merges with the dark magic. Once that happens, they go berserker and attack everything in their path.", I said, looking back at the Duke and Queen, "This relic should be separate from everything else, and be held under lock and key. If anyone gets their hands on it, the poor soul they force it on will go insane and lose all sense of themselves."
"I understand, we have a secondary vault in a secure location that most people do not know. We will transfer it there and ensure it is sealed tightly.", Mylene acknowledged, motioning for one of the nearby guards to mark it accordingly.
Continuing my search, I stumbled across a unique-looking crate different from all the others. Reminiscent of the large case the Iron Man Armor came in, this one did not have any of Stark's logos but was certainly built to his standards. Sensing a magical seal placed on the crate, I figured something of great value was inside. After a great deal of effort, I took down the seal placed on the crate before hacking into the coded lock. Unlocking the hatch, after fifteen minutes of trying different methods, the crate slid open with a loud hiss as the air seal broke. Rising from within the crate, Dr. Victor von Doom's armor greeted me in all its splendor.
"I will take this as my second item.", I said, doing my best to hide my smile, 'Perfect, between Dr. Doom and Stark's armors I build something even more durable and powerful. If I make it out of Gundanium, damn near nothing is going to stand against me for the foreseeable future.'
Stowing both items away, we left the vault to discuss another matter in the King's study. Having received my request for a name change from Nicholas, the Cabinet Ministers and Crown both approved my decision.
"Nicholas did not provide the name you wanted to use. Can you tell me please?", Mylene inquired, pulling out a few sheets of paper and a pen.
"Victor Von Stark, if that is okay.", I replied, "I currently hold no land or titles so hopefully that is alright."
"That will not last long, but we can accommodate your request.", Mylene remarked, "So you are aware, all of your achievements have earned you a noble title. The Holfort Kingdom rewards individuals like you for their hard work and dedication to adventuring. In two months, we will bestow upon you the title of Honorary Viscount. Once you clear all the Ranked 4 and 5 dungeons, as Nicholas said you desired, and turn eighteen, we will raise your rank to Duke."
Understanding that this was their attempt to tie me to the Holfort Kingdom, I did not mind using the privileges that came with it. Both titles gave me access to many connections that could expedite collection materials. The quicker I got supplies, the sooner I could put this place behind me.
"I understand, thank you for your kindness.", I said, bowing my head, "After the ceremony, I will begin preparations to construct my Airship Workshop on the edge of the capital."
"Of course, we will allot a plot of land to you away from prying eyes so you can work in relative peace.", Mylene stated, with a smile, "Is there anything else you need from us?"
"The only thing I can think of is forewarning nobles that I will be clearing dungeons over the next four years. While I have a Royal Decree, some more stubborn nobles may argue that I falsified the document. To avoid that, notifying them of my future visit would certainly help alleviate that problem. If they refuse to listen after that, they can learn the hard way that I have a job to do.", I chuckled.
Cracking a smile, the two of them nodded their heads in agreement. Having discussed everything we wanted, I excused myself and swiftly returned to Yamato. With nothing holding me in the capital, we set a course for home.